Cycling UK Forum

My step mother has just got an e-bike (and loving it) but is worried about punctures.

Don't use it myself but can anyone recommend a puncture sealant that would be easy to use and work well to 'get you home'.

Thanks

I use green slime from wilko, it's about £6 for 2 innertubes. Last night I ran over some hedge cuttings and one made a lot of noise as it went round with the tyre for a while but the tyre's still up so it works.

Vitoria seal & inflate works well. I’ve had it in one tyre for over a year after a puncture and still good.

Zefal and Aldi bikemate work but are very messy (some escapes after use, as you disconnect the can from the valve) so pack some nitrile gloves with it. I doubt it will seal anything that the Slime inner tubes wouldn't. The drawback of the Slime is that you're using heavier tubes all the time, which can make cycling more work and less fun, but maybe an e-bike would make that less of a concern.

Would practising fixing punctures alleviate the worry? Ideally, doing it the nice way, repairing in place, not the ripping the wheel out and waving it around while showing how dextrous one is at removing tubes and strong-fingered one is at refitting tyres.

OK thanks, don't like the sound of Zefal etc. + at nearly 80 years of age changing the tyre is not an option for her! It needs to be clean and easy to use.

Is this the Vittoria sealant referred to?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-pit-st ... qsEALw_wcB

groberts wrote:OK thanks, don't like the sound of Zefal etc. + at nearly 80 years of age changing the tyre is not an option for her! It needs to be clean and easy to use.

I don't think any sealant can reliably remove the 'option' 100% of the time.
Maybe a case for solid tyres?

Or a mobile phone with her loving son's number in it.

groberts wrote:OK thanks, don't like the sound of Zefal etc. + at nearly 80 years of age changing the tyre is not an option for her! It needs to be clean and easy to use.

Is this the Vittoria sealant referred to?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-pit-st ... qsEALw_wcB

Yes, that’s the one. Not cheap but possibly a bit less if you shop around. I have arthritis in my thumbs and find refitting tyres difficult.

jezer wrote:

groberts wrote:OK thanks, don't like the sound of Zefal etc. + at nearly 80 years of age changing the tyre is not an option for her! It needs to be clean and easy to use.

Is this the Vittoria sealant referred to?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-pit-st ... qsEALw_wcB

Yes, that’s the one. Not cheap but possibly a bit less if you shop around. I have arthritis in my thumbs and find refitting tyres difficult.

Kool stop bead jack helps putting tyres back on, plus wider tyres typically found on ebikes are usually easier anyway.

Reports on that vittoria are mixed and I'm not sure if it only works on Presta valves. The design looks better than zefal: shorter tube means less slime to depressurise on disconnection.

I guess the only 100% solution are those solid tyres like Tannus but they ride very differently and are pretty expensive IIRC.

I have only had one puncture on my tubeless, I used Stans sealant , it did seal the hole, but not until most of the air had gone. I pumped it up to around 40lbs and limped home, but no more air had come out and I was able to fully inflate the tire and carry on using it.